This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2006, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
For more than 30 years, fans who attended the Days of '47 Rodeo in Salt Lake City were treated to the knowledge of Jay Harwood, one of the voices of the annual summer event.
Harwood, who turned 69 on Thursday, died suddenly on Saturday while driving to announce a rodeo in Gallup, N.M. Results of an autopsy are pending, but Harwood's niece said cardiac arrest was the apparent cause of death.
In a Salt Lake Tribune article on July 22 spotlighting the Delta Center rodeo's trio of announcers, longtime announcer Clem McSpadden called Harwood “one of the best in our business and a true professional.”
From Chinook, Mont., Harwood announced the National Finals Rodeo five times and was inducted into the Montana Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.
